Last year I started my own professional speaking and training business and began writing my first book. In order to promote myself and my business I joined the national U.K. breakfast networking group 4Networking. One of the many benefits of this group is that membership allows you to visit groups anywhere in the U.K. – all you have to do is travel to the group, be there by 8 am, and pay for your breakfast. I went to the Peterborough group a couple of times and then decided to explore a little.
One of the first groups I went to outside of Peterborough was in Bedford. The Bedford 4Networking group meets at The White Horse pub. On my first visit I arrived there just after 8 and was immediately impressed with the general atmosphere of the place. The 4Networking crowd were very welcoming too, as usual, and at 8.30 I sat down to eat my traditional English breakfast. The breakfast at The White Horse is right up there with the very best English breakfasts that I have ever eaten. Everything freshly cooked and served to the table, with great sausages (always an indicator of an excellent breakfast, in my opinion) very freshly fried eggs and melt-in-the-mouth hash browns. Alright, I know that hash browns are not technically English, but they are a very welcome addition!
I noticed that Nigel Anstead, the landlord of the pub, helped to serve us breakfast and then came to join us at the table and introduced himself, telling the group what was going on at his pub for the next few weeks and inviting us along. He also told us that any 4Networking member who wanted to have a business meeting with a client there would be provided with free coffee. The coffee is great, by the way!
At 4Networking we have the opportunity to have 3 10 minute appointments with people that we find interesting, so I asked Nigel if I could have ten minutes with him! He expressed surprise that I wanted to talk to him, but I persisted and we had our ten-minute chat. I wanted to find out how successful the pub was and what he did to make it work. Not surprisingly, in an age where many pubs are closing due to lack of business, The White Horse is thriving. Nigel and his wife Sue have won many awards for their pub and they are obviously very proud of them, and rightly so. They have also raised many thousands of pounds for charity.
He explained that he involves his customers and staff in the running of the pub and tries to give them what they want. They have open mic nights and live music, pub quizzes and other entertainment. They provide great fresh food and a wonderful welcome. They have regular staff meetings at which the staff are encouraged to express their ideas.
I have been back to The White Horse several times since that first day. Last week I had two meetings in Bedford and decided to meet my business colleagues at The White Horse. Midday on a Thursday, many community pubs would be deserted. Not so The White Horse! I walked in and noticed a wedding party being served lunch at one end of the pub. There was Nigel, in amongst it all, being mine host, serving lunches (they looked delicious!) welcoming everyone as they came through the door, being a role model for his team. A few minutes later the person I was meeting arrived. We decided to go and sit at the other end of the pub where it was quieter, and emptier. As we went to take a table one of the young staff politely and professionally came up and told us that she was ‘ever so sorry, but that table is reserved for a funeral party that we are expecting any minute, but you are very welcome to take one of the sofas and you will be more comfortable there’. She smiled and we went and took a sofa, ordered coffee (which was served to our table) and got on with our meeting.
By the time I left The White Horse two hours later, at 2 pm on a Thursday afternoon, the wedding party was in full swing at one end of the pub, with Nigel inviting the happy couple to cut the cake, and the young staff were quietly and respectfully looking after the funeral party at the other end of the pub. Quite remarkable. Nigel and Sue Anstead, in my opinion, you deserve every award and accolade that you have achieved, and I hope you go on to achieve many more!